Harmony Gold files lawsuit over SDCC Jetfire

[GoktimusPrime]

Renaming him Skyfire and modifying his appearance in the cartoon was Hasbro's way of getting a big transforming white jet with red thrusters promoted to the masses without the legal hassles.

That's never been confirmed. It's not really known why Sunbow decided to call Jetfire "Skyfire" in the G1 cartoon. Changing the character design alone was enough to evade legal issues with Harmony Gold -- they don't own the rights to the Jetfire name, only to the VF-1S Valkyrie design.
re: "Why Skyfire?"

I've never heard of these guys before. I wonder why they never sued Hasbro over Classics Jetfire. Seems to me like if they have a problem with a GI Joe toy with a back pack in it they should have had a problem with Classics Jetfire also.

Because Classics Jetfire is not a Valkyrie VF-1S. HasTak very carefully (and cleverly) designed it as an hybrid between a VF-1S and the G1 cartoon/comic design of Jetfire/Skyfire. It bears a vague resemblance to those designs, but doesn't actually look like either one.

From a legal/intellectual property point of view, what's stopping Hasbro/TakaraTomy from making a new version of Skyfire? That design was created specifically to avoid resemblance to the Valkyrie.

I believe that was Jetfire_in_the_sky's point. Masterpiece is all about engineering G1 Transformers to look more like the cartoon, so an MP Skyfire (Jetfire was only ever called "Skyfire" in Japan) would definitely be based on the cartoon model, and not at all about emulating the toy.

[drifand]

I believe that was Jetfire_in_the_sky's point. Masterpiece is all about engineering G1 Transformers to look more like the cartoon, so an MP Skyfire (Jetfire was only ever called "Skyfire" in Japan) would definitely be based on the cartoon model, and not at all about emulating the toy.[/QUOTE]

This would be +1 for me, I was totally confused when I first saw Jetfire as VF-1S Super Valk. And I really prefer this to be changed to the Jetfire/Skyfire
I know.

[DELTAprime]

Because Classics Jetfire is not a Valkyrie VF-1S. HasTak very carefully (and cleverly) designed it as an hybrid between a VF-1S and the G1 cartoon/comic design of Jetfire/Skyfire. It bears a vague resemblance to those designs, but doesn't actually look like either one.

A GI Joe Skystriker isn't a Valkyrie either, yet they are suing on one but not the other. They both look like Robotech jets.

[drifand]

Just say it was based on a F14 Tomcat, and see what HG will do.

[dirge]

Just say it was based on a F14 Tomcat, and see what HG will do.

Sue Grumman for IP infringement?

While they're at it they can try their hand at suing the US Navy & Iranian Air Force who were Grumman's F14 customers. See how that goes for them

[GoktimusPrime]

And then there's this

[drifand]

but is he in prison? If he is surely some nut job is doing the movie for him to pay off debt. lol

[Sinnertwin]

but is he in prison? If he is surely some nut job is doing the movie for him to pay off debt. lol

No, I'm pretty sure he's suing his accountant...

[Zommael]

A GI Joe Skystriker isn't a Valkyrie either, yet they are suing on one but not the other. They both look like Robotech jets.

And I'd imagine that's exactly the sort of argument Hasbro's lawyers will be using. It's pretty much how IP law works.

[drifand]

Could just pick any toy collector and ask to differentiate which is a valk and which is Jetfire.

Probably you find out that it would piss HG more because some expert just starts saying that's not even a valkrie, that HG robotech. A valkrie is from Macross. lol